Finished on 2/23/2024

Chapter 1

Hard luck 

  Ustad prowled through forest in search of prey. He sniffed the air when he caught a sent. Elephant. Biggest prey around, but kinda hard to kill. Ustad followed the sent near the edge of his territory. There, finally the elephant was in sight. All Ustad had to do was bring it down.

  Ustad lowered his body to the ground and raised his tail to look like grass.

  The elephant had no idea Ustad was here. Ustad carefully stalked the elephant. Just a few more steps and he'd be in pouncing distance.

  The elephant looked up. It sensed something was wrong. It couldn't know Ustad was here. Not now. Finally, for after what felt like centuries, the elephant looked away. Now Ustad was in pouncing distance.

  Snap. Ustad stepped on a twig. The elephant swiveled its head to face Ustad. The elephant started running. Ustad couldn't do anything 

except turn around. He couldn't risk battling another tiger. Ustad turned around and looked for small prey like rabbit.

  The moon was climbing high into the sky as the stars blazed bright. Night had fallen. Ustad couldn't sleep though. Not because tigers rest all day but because something was troubling him. He felt something, or someone was here in his territory. Ustad tried to rub the feeling of but failed. 

That's it! Ustad couldn't take it anymore. He got up and growled softly before shaking himself awake.

   He sniffed and sniffed for a sent of what is or was here. Ustad started walking silently looking for anything that might be a clue to what's here.He walked to the edge of his territory to find any hint of what's here.

   But still he didn't find anything. No matter how hard he tried nothing hidden in the shadows revealed it's self.

  Finally, Ustad found a new sent. He'd never 

smelled before. Someone else was here. And it was a tiger. A tiger, Ustad thought Invading my territory. Then Ustad thought I am the strongest tiger in the forest. This battle should be easy.

    So Ustad followed the sent to the invader. The walk was short, for it seems the invader was following Ustad. But was not doing very good at silently doing so. But when Ustad saw the invader he was astonished. It was a male tiger, No older than Ustad. But it was how he looked that surprised Ustad. He was perfectly clean 

but looked so strong he must've been in many battles.

  "Why're you in my territory." Ustad growled at the invader. "My name is Karam and I'll tell you why I'm here after you tell me your name." Said Karam calmly."My name's Ustad, and I'm the strongest tiger in the forest." Ustad growled.

  Then the tiger attacked.

Chapter 2

King

       Karam jumped on Ustad then said "I want  to be king of the forest, and the strongest tiger here." Then he leaped off. Ustad had no choice but to fight, even if he'd rather sleep.

"Fine." mumbled Ustad. Karam faced him, they had a long conversation with their eyes until Karam gestured him into a clearing

in Ustads territory.

  Ustad faced Karam teeth bared, while Karam matted his fur. "Wait Ustad. Let's get tigers to watch this battle." Karam said before he disappeared  into the forest.

  When he came back many tigers were following him. The other tigers found a place around the clearing and settled in watching Ustad and Karam, muttering bets. 

   Ustad roared for silence. The muttering 

quickly stopped. The two tigers both bared their teeth then circled each other. Ustad waited for Karam to make the first move but Karam was doing the same.

    Ustad thought he'd have more time to prepare for the blow but the next thing he knew he was pushed over and struggling out of Karams grip. Suddenly, as quick as lightning a thought struck him.

   Ustad stopped struggling and shut his eyes. Karams grip loosened a little, just enough to slip free though. While Karam roared that he had   

won, Ustad found a rock about the  size of his head  and slipped out of Karams grip and put the rock where he was before.

    No tiger noticed that Ustad wasn't under Karams paws. Yet. Ustad, silent but quickly hid in the bushes behind Karam. The leaves rustled as Ustad hid among them but the other tigers must have thought it was the wind because no one said anything about the bushes moving.

     Ustad didn't have enough time to think because soon someone would notice that

Ustad was gone. Ustad, without thinking charged out of the bush and slammed Karam against a  rock. Karam roared in shock, fury, and confusion. Ustad held him there until Karam finally said "I give up! You win! You're king!" Ustad felt shock for many long moments until he realized what Karam had just said

   Karam wriggled out of Ustads grip and scurried away in fury. "I'm king" Usted growled softly to himself. "I'm king" Ustad roared at the top of his lungs. All the tigers looked at him with wonder

and a tiny bit of fear. "All hail king Ustad" one tiger roared. Soon that one voice became two, and two became three until everyone was chanting.

      Ustad woke up next morning with a thirst for adventure and a feeling something interesting was going to happen soon.

   He just remembered what happened yesterday  that he was king. For tigers king meant strongest tiger in the forest. So Ustad wouldn't 

be challenged for territory by any tiger so often. Ustad yawned then stretched then breathed in the warm morning air.

   Ustad suddenly caught a sent. Rabbit. Ustad hurried over to find the rabbit when he stopped. Was that human? Why was a human here in the forest? 

   Oh right, it's crossing day Ustad remembered. Humans cross the forest once a year to go somewhere. Ustad forgot all about that 

because it's been a year since the last crossing day.

    Ustad went to go hunt the rabbit anyway. He was kind of hungry so he might eat it instantly. So Ustad made his way through his territory.

    It was a short walk and the rabbit was easy to find. Ustad crouched down to prepare to pounce. Ustad was close enough to pounce now and was not risking anything. Pounce. Ustad ran chasing his pray, the rabbit was slow from shock so Ustad used his advantage wisely.

  Ustad pounced again and this time caught the rabbit and killed it. Ustad went under a tree and gobbled up the rabbit until it was nothing but bones. Then he went back to a tree closer to the center of his territory.

Suddenly searing pain filled Ustads paw. He howled in pain before running wild, but he ran out of his territory and into the human forest.

   The last thing  he remembered was seeing humans everywhere. Then everything faded to black

Chapter Three

Thorn in my paw

   Ustad woke to hear strange noises. Humans Ustad thought, then growled. Then all Ustads memories came back. Pain, human noises, and darkness. Ustad adjusted his head to look at his paw, there was a thorn in it. Ustad winced in pain.

    Then Ustad looked around and saw humans everywhere. The entire room looked like a

human treatment center. Ustad looked around and noticed that the humans weren't worried at all about Ustad waking up. It was strange. 

    He saw all  kind of things he nearly couldn't feel the pain in his paw. But then the pain grew worse and worse and worse until Ustad couldn't take it anymore. 

    He grunted and growled but it was too noisy for the humans to hear. Ustad felt the pain growing worse and worse by the second. And then Ustad roared. Then everything was black.

Chapter Four 

Couple years later

    Ustad looked down at his paw like he always did since the thorn got out of his paw. It left a scar, a reminder of what happened. 

    Since that day Ustad believed humans caused the pain in his paw. He feared them and hated them. He wanted to show his fury but didn't know how. He wanted to hurt them like how they 

hurt him. But he knew that was wrong so he didn't. He just prowled the shadows, hiding.

     But Ustad knew someday he'd find a way to be brave and step out into the world again. Someday. But until then Ustad stayed deep in the forest, never seen by anyone, lurking in the shadows. 

    Ustad yawned then shook awake and fell back asleep. I'll wake up later thought Ustad. Then drifted into deep sleep.

   Ustad was running. His heart was pounding. His legs were burning but still he ran. He couldn't stop. He didn't know what was chasing him but he didn't want to find out. He knew it in bones that something was chasing him.

    Now he was gasping for breath. He couldn't keep running, he had to turn and fight. His chaser behind him though wasn't a tiger, it was a human. With weapons.

      Ustad was terrified. The human approached slowly and raised his stick. Ustad didn't know if 

that meant it was attacking or peace but Ustad didn't wait to find out. He decided to bluff to make the human go away. Ustad charged at the human with fury and pride. 

    He slashed at it's side and bit it's hand. The human screamed. Then Ustad didn't know why but had the urge to kill the human. So, without thinking Ustad went for the neck and gasped awake.

   It was a dream. But it gave the urge to make it come true.

Chapter five

Dream come true

     Ustad was shocked by his dream. Somehow the dream changed him be brave. Ustad was positive that the dream  wouldn't come true. That he was just feeling weird and the feeling would were off. He was sure. Though some of him didn't believe that.

   There was no way to know for sure. But days

past and the feeling never wore off. Every time Ustad saw a human he wanted to bluff. But he kept his calm and hid when he saw humans with weapons.

    Ustad was angry about other stuff too, like how  weapon humans just walked through his territory. Ustad just felt rage.

   One day was different though. The feeling was stronger but Ustad didn't hunt for humans. He waited for them. He just walked through his 

territory with only one thing on his mind. Today's the day he thought repeatedly today's the day. 

   Ustad walked and found a sent out of the ordinary. Something was different. Something was strange. Ustad didn't need to walk to see what was there. A human. As plain as could be. 

     The human walked slowly toward him. Ustad growled  then froze. Then started moving again. The human raised his weapon. Ustad was scared and showed his claw's. The human

didn't notice. Then Ustad aimed at the humans shoulder and bit.

     But Ustad didn't bite the shoulder, He bit the neck. On accident though. The human screamed and more rushed over. Then the human Ustad bit collapsed dead. The others stared horrified. Ustad felt guilt weigh in his stomach. 

    He started running. But no one followed. Still he ran. Ustad was gasping for breath when he arrived at the opposite edge of his territory. Terrified by the horrible events that had taken 

place he collapsed in guilt and tiredness.

     Ustad quickly hunted then ate and slept under the moonlit sky haunted by the events that had taken place today. Ustad knew one thing for sure, what had taken place today will happen again.

Chapter six 

Lost and found

    Ustad growled and snorted amused. This rabbit thought it could hide from Ustad. Well, let's see about that Ustad thought to himself. He slowly and silently stalked the rabbit. 

  He was a few meters away from the rabbit when Roar! Another tiger beat him to it. Wait a minute, this tiger was a female. The female roared with satisfaction. Ustad slowly approached the female

carful not to be noticed incase a male was guarding her. No males were there. The female was pretty cool looking. Maybe Ustad could try to mate with her?

     She was bathing in the river that flew through Ustads territory. Ustad left his hiding place in the bushes and walked slowly and non-threateningly towards her.

    He retracted his claws to to look harmless.

The female suddenly noticed him and growled threateningly. She leaped out of the river and

walked towards Ustad. It seemed she realized that Ustad was strong and powerful. 

   "Who are you?" she growled. "Ustad, who are you?" Ustad replied smoothly. "Noor." she said. They circled each other and purred quietly. Then their heads brushed and Ustad had a feeling he never had felt before. The weight of murder went away and all Ustad felt was peace.

    Ustad then turned to face Noor and spoke "You can stay in my territory." Noor looked away shyly and said "Thanks." Ustad finally  found the word for this feeling. It was love.

Chapter seven

Cubs to soon 

  Ustad scurried up a tree and waited. Noor was all most there. And even though she was his mate, Ustad wasn't going easy on her. Not today. Ustad watched as Noor called "Where are you!" and that made Ustad feel sympathy so he snapped a branch to make Noor notice.

   She didn't notice.

   At,

   all.

    Ustad couldn't help it. He slipped down from the tree and roared to get Noor's attention. She turned around and smiled a big smile. "Ustad there you are! 

     Guess what, I'm having cubs!" exclaimed Noor. "Now! I'm not ready! When are the coming?" Ustad replied shocked. "In a few days." she answered. 

  That didn't make Ustad feel better. "Well get back to the den. You need to rest." Ustad ushered her into the den and sat down to think about what just happened. "So when did you first get cubs?" Ustad asked curiosity taking over 

him. "Last month but I wanted to tell you when they're about to be born." "You should have told me before." he growled softly. Noor didn't seem to notice though because she said "I'm nervous." 

    Ustad was surprised to her that but comforted her by saying "You'll do great, and I'll be helping you when you need me. We'll take care of them together." 

   It got the effect he wanted. Noor smiled a big, bright, happy smile. "I know Ustad, I know."  Now all Ustad wanted was for their cubs to be born.

Ustad and Noor sat outside their den watching 

sun work it's magic and create a dazzling display. They just sat there in silence and thought  about the future. Their lives would soon be different. And Ustad didn't know if he was ready for that change.

    And there was only one question on Ustad's mind. "What if, we don't like it?" Noor knew what he meant because she said "We will." Ustad stifled a yawn and walked into the den. 

    He lay awake for some time but then his eyelids felt heavy and sleep fell over him. That night was the peacefullest night Ustad ever had.